This backyard pod will let you escape reality... but not the elements

Architectural and creative firm Boano Prišmontas wants to create a little oasis for you in your backyard, according to Dezeen. The firm is creating prefabricated birch plywood pods that take only a day to assemble. Starting at approximately $6,400 (based on the current pound sterling to USD exchange rate), the pods are targeted towards homeowners and companies who would rather buy a pod for their remote workforce than pay pricey rents for office space.

WFH outside your home — Across the world, even those free from the shackles of quarantine are still working remotely, where possible. Anyone new to this lifestyle change made swift changes to their homes to demarcate workspace and living space in attempts to retain their sanity. The London-based firm states “it is not fair that employees have to sacrifice and compromise their domestic environment any further,” referencing the often cramped spaces in the English capital, and in many other metropolises.

This is no easy-up and patio furniture; the pod project, called “My Room in the Garden” can fit into tiny yards while still giving inhabitants enough space to work or just escape from the 7,382nd viewing of Frozen. Co-founder Jonas Prišmontas specialized his architectural studies around the growth of urban community gardens, and that work is translated into this consumer-friendly product. Prišmontas and partner Tomaso Boano have always enjoyed having a special space to work — untroubled with other use cases, but close enough to home where they could feel comfortable.

“Given the current situation of a global pandemic, we feel that many people are experiencing a similar type of frustration and would like to have the option of escaping their home space,” Prišmontas told Dezeen.

The pods have a fixed height of 2.5 meters (the local maximum to avoid the necessity of permits) and interior dimensions start at 1.8 by 2.4 meters (5.9 x 7.9 feet). Peg holes in the plywood allow for the customization of shelves, mirrors, and other homey touches. Bigger pods can be created by adding additional modules and the price also starts to escalate for certain finishes, like insulation. Which, frankly, would be a necessity in London, New York, or anywhere else with four distinct seasons.

The designers claim that all of the pod components are easier to assemble than Ikea furniture with only the use of an Allen key or a power drill. We'd be happy to put their claims to the test, but we suspect accounts won't be willing to let us expense a $6,400 product, no matter how productivity boosting it might be.